1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical contacts, and more particularly, to a self-retaining electrical contact suitable for use in terminal blocks and connectors requiring minimum spacing between conductive elements.
2. Discussion of the Relevant Art
Many types of electrical contacts utilize protrusions or detent devices designed to cooperate with each other in order to retain the electrical contact in a housing or terminal block once inserted therein and require the use of a special tool if removal is required. Typical of this type of contact is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,396 issued to B. E. Olsson on Oct. 15, 1974. The device disclosed therein utilizes a tapered contact element having a pair of ears thereon that are adapted to compress when inserted through an aperture provided to receive the contact. Upon the contact reaching the desired position, the contact ears are permitted to expand to its original position in a slightly larger aperture provided and therefor the contact cannot be withdrawn since the inwardly protruding shoulder of the first aperture retains the contact in position. As constructed, the second aperture must be larger than the first in order to provide the necessary retaining shoulder or surface.
Another type of retaining structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,302 issued to C. A. Gourley on June 15, 1976. Disclosed therein is an electrical socket contact which is provided with a pair of extending ears generally lying in the same plane as the rear surface of the contact. The ears are sloped so that the narrower portion thereof is inserted first into an aperture provided in a suitable insulated member. Additional slots are provided on the side of the insulated member and, as the contact is inserted therein from the top surface, the ears are guided into the slots provided on the side of the insulated member and receive the ears therein by a flexing of the housing wall. Once the ears are disposed within the slots provided, withdrawal of the contact is restrained by the ears extending into the slot and are retained by the wall of the insulated member.
A different retaining mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,631 issued to R. Lapes on Aug. 23, 1977. The contact disclosed therein is provided with a pair of inwardly disposed recesses on narrowly extending feet of the contact. The narrowly extending feet are resilient and, when inserted into an insulated member provided with an aperture therefor, flex towards each other permitting the inwardly extending recesses to be inserted into an insulated member beyond inwardly extending mated protrusions provided in the aperture. When in position, the recesses on the contact return to their original position encompassing the protrusions and, thus, retain the contact in position in the insulated member. Mating with a cooperating contact is accomplished by lateral movement of the mating circuit.
The instant invention has been designed to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a simple self-retaining electrically conductive contact that utilizes a minimum of space permitting tight packaging and proximity of the electrical contacts without requiring lateral motion by the mating device.